Angus-Palm Expansion to Bring 140 Jobs to Watertown

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011
WATERTOWN, S.D. – Angus-Palm has announced an expansion that is bringing 140 jobs to Watertown. The Watertown-based manufacturer recently signed a lease for the former Metrix building on west highway 212. They began operation in the facility on Monday, Oct. 3.

The 32,000 square-foot facility is being used as an additional assembly and warehousing location and brings Angus-Palm’s total manufacturing space in Watertown to more than 350,000 square feet.

According to Angus Industries President and CEO Bob Kluver, the expansion will increase capacity to meet the demand of existing and new customers. The expansion has added employees in 2011 bringing Angus-Palm’s current employee total to 500 and Angus expects to continue to add employees in 2012 for a total addition of 140 new employees.

“The jobs that will be created by this expansion include a cross section of many types of jobs, with the largest number being welding and robotic weld operators,” Kluver said.

Focus Watertown President Craig Atkins says the expansion demonstrates the current strength of Watertown’s manufacturing economy as well as the continued growth of the community. “Watertown continues to develop job opportunities. We are so pleased to have assisted with this growth as well. Watertown should be thrilled to have more than 300 jobs announced in the last quarter alone,” he said.

The expansion is the result of a partnership between Angus-Palm, the State of South Dakota and the Watertown Development Company. The Watertown Development Company (WDC) leased the facility to Angus and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development provided workforce development funds.

“The state’s workforce development funding will help train new employees, providing more people with job opportunities while giving Angus-Palm the talent it needs to continue prospering,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “I’m pleased that GOED can assist with this project to encourage more job growth in South Dakota.”

Angus-Palm designs and manufactures operator cabs that are assembled onto mobile equipment manufactured by original equipment manufacturers and used in a wide variety of markets, including the construction, agricultural and mining markets.

Angus opened its initial factory in Watertown in 1988. Since then, the company has had a long history of expansions in Watertown, including a $4 million expansion in 2008. Angus now operates in four different Watertown facilities, three of these leased from the Watertown Development Company.

Focus Watertown is a non-profit economic development organization funded by public and private investors with the mission of increasing job opportunity and the property tax base of Watertown. The associated Watertown Development Company is a non-profit organization established to own and operate buildings, lands and development areas for the economic benefit of Watertown. 

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